Highlights: Diplomatic advisor to French President calls on PM Modi in Delhi

Iran and Sudan said on Thursday they were planning to restore ties after the Iranian foreign minister met his acting Sudanese counterpart for the first time since diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed seven years ago, reported Reuters. 

Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the meeting, on the sidelines of a Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, had discussed restoring relations “as soon as possible”.

Due to the active progress of monsoon in Rajasthan, the meteorological (MeT) department has predicted light to moderate rains in most of the state’s eastern part along with its Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions in the next four to five days, reported PTI. 

There is a strong possibility of heavy rains at some places and very heavy rains at one or two places, it said.

Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President called on PM Modi in Delhi on Thursday. He also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and held wide-ranging talks with a focus on PM’s visit to Paris next week.

US companies added almost half a million jobs in June, the most in over a year and underscoring the ongoing strength of the labor market, reported Bloomberg. 

Private payrolls increased by 497,000 last month, marking the biggest advance since February 2022, according to figures published Thursday by the ADP Research Institute in collaboration with Stanford Digital Economy Lab. It was more than double the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

Drone manufacturer InsideFPV has raised ₹2.75 crore in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures and will utilise the amount for product development, marketing and research.

InsideFPV was founded in July 2020 and is currently serving the consumer segment with ongoing trials for the defence and agriculture segments. (PTI)

Chandrayaan-3 to be launched on July 14 at 2:35 pm, announced ISRO. Read full story

The Congress has appointed Kanhaiya Kumar as in-charge of party’s student wing-National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). 

The Israeli army said Thursday it was conducting strikes on southern Lebanon after a mortar launched from its northern neighbour exploded in the border area between the two foes, reported AFP. 

The latest military action was launched three months after the two countries saw their worst cross-border fire in years.

It also comes at a time of rising tension between Israel and Arab countries after Israel carried out its biggest military operation in years in the occupied West Bank targeting the Jenin refugee camp, a Palestinian militant stronghold.

A Turkish man was found guilty Thursday of attempted aggravated extortion, weapons possession and attempted terrorist financing, saying he was acting on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, reported AP. 

The Stockholm District Court sentenced Yahya Güngör to a total of 4.5 years in prison for the crimes, after which he would be expelled from Sweden and banned from returning to the Scandinavian country.

NCP’s National Executive meeting chaired by Sharad Pawar begins

Two persons including a woman suffered burn injuries after an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder reportedly caught fire and exploded at a house in Delhi’s Gazipur village, police said on Thursday.

As per the information, both the victims who were injured in the cylinder blast were taken to Safdarjang Hospital for treatment.

On June 5 at midnight, police said they received a call that Sarita (30), and Harender (40), both residents of village Gazipur, Delhi were admitted by his mother Sharda Devi, after an LPG cylinder blast. (ANI)

Border Security Force jawan allegedly shot himself dead at a post along International Border in J&K’s Samba district.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is still in Russia, Belarus’s president said on Tuesday, despite a deal with the Kremlin for him to move to Belarus following his failed insurrection last month, AFP reported.

“Sharad Pawar has grown stronger from this as unwanted leaders have left now,” said RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on NCP split after arriving in Delhi for medical check-up.

Top leaders of the Congress on Thursday held crucial deliberations with the party’s leaders in Rajasthan on the poll strategy and preparedness, while also seeking to resolve the tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot.

Posting a video from the meeting, Congress chief Kharge said on Twitter that with public service, relief and upliftment of all, Rajasthan was on the path of progress. The party will unitedly go amongst the people in the upcoming elections.

Senior BJP leaders of 12 states in east and northeast India met in Guwahati on Thursday to strategise on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting is being attended by BJP’s national general secretary BL Santosh, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tripura CM Manik Saha, party MPs and MLAs, and state unit presidents, among others.

More than 10 million people have signed up to Threads, Meta’s rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who suffered a ligament injury on her left knee, may undergo a surgery on Thursday, PTI reported citing a source close to her.

The TMC supremo, is scheduled to visit the state-run SSKM Hospital in the city for a check-up during the day and may undergo the operation, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the Dalai Lama on his 88th birthday.

Modi tweeted, “Spoke to His Holiness @DalaiLama and conveyed heartfelt greetings to him on his 88th birthday. Wishing him a long and healthy life.”

PM Narendra Modi is visiting Chhattisgarh on 7th July. He will lay the foundation stone for three National Highway projects for Chhattisgarh Section of the 6-lane Greenfield Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor. A key component in the development of these National Highway projects is a 6-Lane tunnel of 2.8 Km length with 27 animal passes and 17 monkey canopies provided for unrestricted wildlife movement in Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary area.

Delhi | Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s press conference which was scheduled for later today, has now been postponed until tomorrow, 7th July.

All eyes on Ashok Gehlot – Sachin Pilot tussle as Congress top brass in meeting with Rajasthan leaders.

“Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable…,” tweets UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

NCP leader (Sharad Pawar faction) Clyde Crasto says, “Congress has all the right to discuss the LoP. We have also made it very clear, our party president Sharad Pawar had also made it very clear that whoever has the majority has the right to claim or has the prerogative to choose the leader. So, if the Congress is even thinking of that, there is nothing wrong in it.”

They (BJP) want to impose UCC, and they try to use it against the non-BJP states. Those who oppose them are being threatened using CBI, ED, and IT raids: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin

SC refuses to entertain plea against internet shutdown in Manipur, directs petitioners to approach high court

The hottest week on Earth: Global heat at unofficial record high for second day in a row, reports AP

“All is well and all will remain well,” said NCP working president Supriya Sule as she, along with party chief Sharad Pawar, arrived at Delhi airport for the party’s national executive meeting today.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, reaches party headquarters in Delhi to attend a meeting with leaders from Rajasthan, which is scheduled to go to polls later this year.

More than a dozen people have been arrested for not standing up when the national anthem was played during a function held here in June with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in attendance, officials said on Thursday.

A special court in Chennai trying cases against MPs and MLAs on Thursday acquitted Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minster K Ponmudy in a land grabbing case.

Supreme Court to hear Delhi government’s challenge to the Centre’s Ordinance on July 10

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary and said that his ideals and principles will continue to inspire every generation of the country.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets Dashmat Rawat and washes his feet at CM House in Bhopal. In a viral video from Sidhi, accused Pravesh Shukla was seen urinating on Rawat.

Shukla was arrested on 5th July and his illegal construction was demolished by the local administration yesterday.

Kerala | A few residential areas in Kottayam city face waterlogging following incessant rainfall here; Kodoor river nears overflow.

IMD has issued a Yellow alert for the district today.

Old posters and hoardings of NCP that showed Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel on them are being removed from outside the office of the party in Delhi. A new poster with ‘Gaddaar’ (traitor) written on it is being put up there.

Maharashtra Congress calls a meeting of Congress Core Committee today in Mumbai. The meeting will be chaired by the party’s state president Nana Patole. Discussions on Opposition Leader and the current political situation in the state are expected to be held in the meeting. Discussions on upcoming Lok Sabha elections are also likely to be held.

Five million users have signed up to Threads, Meta’s newly launched text-based social media platform and rival to Twitter, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday, just hours after the app’s launch.

Three people were killed after a missile hit an apartment block in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, its mayor said on Thursday.

Delhi | NCP President Sharad Pawar’s posters and hoardings were removed by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

 Amid NCP vs NCP crisis in Maharashtra, two different meetings of the party were called by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar yesterday in Mumbai.

NCP President Sharad Pawar leaves from his residence for Delhi where the party’s National Executive meeting is scheduled for today.

“Witnessed the signing of the agreement on setting up of IIT Madras Zanzibar campus. Appreciate Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi gracing the occasion. This historic step reflects India’s commitment to the Global South,” tweeted EAM Dr S Jaishankar

Delhi wakes up to rain lashing several parts of the city.

A total of 67,566 pilgrims have visited the Amarnath cave shrine since the beginning of the Yatra on July 1, an official statement said on Wednesday.

At least four people were injured after overnight reports of explosions in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and the casualty count was growing, a local official said.

Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, says, “A meeting of 12 eastern states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal will be held in Guwahati. During this meeting, presidents, general secretaries and other leaders of the respective states will be present. Preparation, and strategy for 2024 polls will be discussed during the meeting.” 

An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude struck the Chile-Argentina border region on Wednesday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

At least 27 people including a one-year-old baby died and 17 were left seriously injured after a bus en route from Mexico City to Yosondua fell into a ravine on Wednesday, reported Milenio.

At least 16 people, including three children, died when toxic gas leaked from a cylinder near Johannesburg, South African police said Wednesday.